Tag: Word

A Hope That Is Ours!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Anchor, HopeLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (New Century Version – Hebrews 6:18-19): 18 These two things cannot change: God cannot lie when he makes a promise, and he cannot lie when he makes an oath. These things encourage us who came to God for safety. They give us strength to hold on to the hope we have been given. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and strong.

THOUGHTS: In our busy, fast paced and often greedy/selfish environment that most of us find ourselves in today, it is very easy to mistrust folk, as we never know if they are looking out for our best interest or that of themselves. In the preceding verses to our passage today, we are reminded of the promise that God made to Abraham, and although the promise was not immediately revealed, through the faith, trust and steadfast hope of Abraham, he was able to witness the hand of God in revealing the answer to the promise given to multiply the earth, even at his old age. With that promise, and its fulfilling in the backdrop, we are told that we can depend on the promises of God, because by His very divine nature, He cannot lie. So when we place our faith in God and in His promises, it’s not like the kind of faith that one would have when they purchase a lottery ticket, it’s a sure thing. Friends God has made many promises to us in His Word. If you believe in Him and trust His Word, then you too have the strength to hold on to the hope given to you, and it’s as strong as an anchor that will prevent you from drifting or crashing into the hopelessness of a dark night where worldly obstacles might otherwise obstruct your path and/or the currents of this sinful life might steer you away from the truth of God’s Word. This is a sure thing friends! It is reserved for those who know Jesus as Lord and have learned to trust wholeheartedly in Him. Do you know Him? If not may I recommend that you read my Footnote carefully, as it contains help and direction for you to resolve this problem? Perhaps you know Jesus, but not sure if you have the faith that it takes to trust Him completely with His promises. Please be reminded that God never changes. Just as He came through on His promise to Abraham, He will also come through on His promises to us. Since He never changes, this means that you must beg Him to work on you so that you might become more trusting in the One who gave His very life so that you might have life more abundantly. Stay closely attuned to Jesus, friend, and trust in His Word today, won’t you?

PRAYER: Father, You are more wonderful than anything we could imagine. You are more trustworthy than anything we can comprehend, especially in our world of mistrust one for another, where ulterior motives seem to be the norm. Thank You for making Your promises so evident to us in Your Word. Unfortunately we have developed such mistrust in everything and everyone that it becomes challenging for us to totally place our faith in You and Your promises. Please touch the hearts of Your children today with a reminder that You are still God, still in control, will never lie to us and will live by Your many promises to us. Please help us to do our part in being true to You so that our faith might be strengthened, renewed and cause us to never doubt You. Thank You for being my Savior and Lord! Thank You for loving Your children enough to promise us hope and life beyond anything we can imagine. I praise and honor You with a heart of thanksgiving today. Please impress upon the hearts of Your children reading this devotional how important it is that each of us draw closer to You, so that You might reveal Yourself to us. I ask all this in the precious name of Jesus, AMEN!

 

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Pride Comes Before A Fall

On By Ed AlgreenIn Humility, Obedience, SurrenderLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – Jeremiah 38:17-18, 28): I told him that the Lord had said: “Zedekiah, I am the Lord God All-Powerful, the God of Israel. I promise that if you surrender to King Nebuchadnezzar’s officers, you and your family won’t be killed, and Jerusalem won’t be burned down. 18 But if you don’t surrender, I will let the Babylonian army capture Jerusalem and burn it down, and you will be taken prisoner.”……. 28 I was held in the courtyard of the palace guards until the day Jerusalem was captured.

THOUGHTS: I am amazed that we can look into God’s Word and not just see the amazing things that He did such as bringing people back to life, or miraculously healing them, but to also see some of the same characteristics in the folk of that day that compares to much like we see and experience today. In spite of knowing that he could possibly be killed for sharing with the king exactly what God said, yet Jeremiah was faithful and told King Zedekiah just that. In verses 19 thru 27 we are told how the king asked Jeremiah to handle the questions when asked by the palace authorities about the meeting between Jeremiah and the king, because the king found it impossible to concede to what God wanted him to do, as it would burst the pride of his kingdom. I found vs 28 interesting, because it gives the idea that Jeremiah waited in full expectation of what God said He would do, and in later verses we will read the rest of the story! I believe that way too often we go off in our own direction and, in spite of asking God for His advice, we are so filled with personal pride that we do our own thing, although His warnings and/or directions have been made plain to us. Friends, God is all-knowing and all-powerful. If we are truly His child, and we want to be truly obedient, then we will allow His will to override our wants and our pride. This requires a close walk with God and demands our knowing His very thoughts and plans, and allowing that sense of direction to lead us into all truth, even if it looks like it will probably lead to folk laughing at us, or thinking that we have lost sense with reality. God’s true messengers tell the story as they understand it from God, not as they have manipulated it to best suit their purpose. We are chosen to be God’s messengers of His truth, not to dilute it with our wants and/or benefits. I believe that God is watching as we decide today whom we will serve. What shall it be friend?

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for trusting Your servants to deliver Your Word to those that need it even today. You are well aware of how manipulative we are in still sharing that Word with our own personal prejudices and twists that help us to feel important and without including ourselves in the mix of all who need correction. Please tender our hearts, and please cause us to allow Your words to penetrate us first personally, before we ever think about sharing them with someone else. You are the Creator and ongoing Master of this universe. All things were made by You and are still under Your control. Please help us to understand that this will not change, even if we try to soften the reality of that, or not tell the whole truth of what it will take to draw mankind unto a saving knowledge of You. There is no need for us to be intimidated by others, for Your message is designed for us all. There is no gain for self, for Your Word is intended to draw mankind unto You, not unto us. Please forgive us for our littleness in trying to use Your message for our benefit. Please help us to wipe away self-pride and instead practice true servant-hood and be Your humble messenger simply delivering Your Word to lost mankind. Only the blood of Jesus can wash away the sin of mankind, nothing else. May Your will be done today in our lives, I pray, in the all-powerful and matchless name of Jesus my Lord, AMEN!

 

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Filled With Hope!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Hope, SalvationLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – Titus 2:11-14): 11 God has shown us how kind he is by coming to save all people. 12 He taught us to give up our wicked ways and our worldly desires and to live decent and honest lives in this world. 13 We are filled with hope, as we wait for the glorious return of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. 14 He gave himself to rescue us from everything that is evil and to make our hearts pure. He wanted us to be his own people and to be eager to do right.

THOUGHTS: There are things in this life that excite us and causes us to be anxious about their effects upon our life. I have a friend who, together with his wife, they are expecting their first child. Lots of excitement and anticipation as they work through the remaining days of pregnancy, and they are anxious to finally hold that precious child. I have a friend who will be married soon – he has similar anxiety as he awaits the ‘big’ day, hoping for a very positive change in his life, with even increased happiness as he brings a life partner alongside him. For those of us that have accepted Jesus as Lord of our lives, we are truly blessed each and every day as we live in anticipation of what He might accomplish in and through us, for the ultimate salvation of our family and friends and for His glory. Because of the sweetness in our relationship with Jesus, and because we see God at work each day in such marvelous ways, we anticipate each day with a hope that Jesus might return today to take us home with Him, or anxious about what God might have in store for His servant today. Friends – Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, it just doesn’t get any better than that! But what about those who have chosen to go their own way and continue to live in the ways of this world, without Christ? We see and hear about the results of their careless living and we pray all the more for their eyes to be opened by God to see the need for a Savior. We also know that Jesus died on a cruel cross so that they too might accept Him as Lord and Savior. Therefore let us not grow weary in well doing, in praying for their hearts to be softened to the reality and results of their sinful life. Let us freely share the gospel with them in very meaningful ways – through our Godly actions and our kind, Godly words. Let them see Jesus in us, and pray that God will place an urgent desire in their hearts to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. To the unsaved person that God may have directed to this devotional in search of ‘hope’ in your life – please allow me to introduce you to the Creator of this earth, and each of us, the only One that ever loved us enough and was capable of providing redemptive means for our sin, and has the power to redirect us towards God the Father. I have details in the ‘Footnote’ that might help you overcome everything that you might be going through. God especially loves you, and sincerely wants you to commit your life to Him. Allowing Jesus into your heart and life is the answer to the turmoil, heartache and unnecessary anxiety you are encountering each day, for God is in control and can easily handle your situation, giving you extreme peace and tranquility. Please consider surrendering your life to Him today. Accept this Jesus of mine and allow Him to be Lord of your life. You too can have ‘HOPE’ today friend!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for the hope you have given me as Your precious child. Thank you for a day back in 1976 when You convicted me of my sin and my need for a Savior. I appreciate every day that You have blessed me with and I am excited about the prospects of each day, because I know that You can use even me to encourage my family and friends to meet You, and to listen to Your voice as You tug on their heart’s door. I believe that You have a plan for them dear God, and I thank You for looking beyond our faults and our sin, to see our heart and be concerned about our spiritual well-being. Thank You for being such an awesome Savior, loving Jesus and all-knowing, all-powerful God who can change even the vilest sinner. You rescued me from a life of sin and disregard, and I am convinced that You can do the same for my friends. Please speak to the hearts of those we will encounter today, so that our words and our actions might be acceptable to You and serve the purpose of drawing them closer to You. I ask all this in faith, and believing in the only true and loving God, in the name of my precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, AMEN!

 

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Because of God’s Love

On By Ed AlgreenIn LoveLeave a comment

The Holy Bible (The Message – 2 Thessalonians 2:15-17): 15–17 So, friends, take a firm stand, feet on the ground and head high. Keep a tight grip on what you were taught, whether in personal conversation or by our letter. May Jesus himself and God our Father, who reached out in love and surprised you with gifts of unending help and confidence, put a fresh heart in you, invigorate your work, enliven your speech.

Thoughts: On a day that we celebrate ‘love’, and express our love towards our spouse or sweetheart, I am intrigued that my Bible reading would take me to a passage that encourages me to reflect on my love towards God, and my subsequent reciprocal actions towards God – The One who showed His love for me in a sacrificial way, by openly providing an attainable way to one day join Him in heaven! Not sure about you, but whenever I recognize love being expressed by my wife towards me, I quickly examine my life to see what I might be doing or saying to do the same towards her. If that’s a ‘normal’ reaction, and I believe it is, then I question if we (mankind) are truly and honestly recognizing God’s love towards us each and every day. Because if we were to react in the same manner as we do to our spouse, then this would be a whole different world we would live in. Imagine if only Christians did their part in expressing their love towards Jesus? Imagine if this rubbed off on all those that we come into contact with, and after seeing a better way to live, that they also tried to do better in their relationships? As God’s love fills us to overflowing today, I hope that we can pray as Paul did for his church members: May God, through His deep, unending and unmatched love, put a fresh heart in us, and may He invigorate our work for Him and enliven our speech so that God might be glorified, and others will be encouraged to know the One that we serve, love and adore. God loves us friend, and He wants our lives to be so affected that this evil world around us might be impacted. Take a firm stand today friends, will you?

Prayer:  Your love is amazing dear God! Thank You for loving even me! Thank You for Your Word that brings refreshment to my heart and invigorates me in ways that I pray might be a blessing to others. Please enliven my speech so that I might depend on You for the very words that I speak, as my desire is that my life might influence others for my Master. Thank You Jesus for all that You are and all that You mean to me. Please influence the hearts and souls of Your children who will meditate on this devotional today, so that Your love may be very evident to them. May Your actions impress upon them the need to show Your kind of love to all that they come into contact with today. May this ‘lovers’ day, be one where friends will not only be invigorated in their love for their sweetheart, but also for You. I ask all this because of Your love for me, and in the name of Jesus Christ, AMEN!

 

FOOTNOTE:
If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Being Christ-like on your job

On By Ed AlgreenIn Representative of Christ, WorkplaceLeave a comment

The Holy Bible (The Contemporary English Version – Colossians 3:22-24): 22 …. Honor the Lord and serve your masters with your whole heart. 23 Do your work willingly, as though you were serving the Lord himself, and not just your earthly master. 24 In fact, the Lord Christ is the one you are really serving, and you know that he will reward you.

Thoughts: I am constantly amazed by the all-encompassing Word of God! So often we see where it relates to our everyday lives, but when last have we stopped to think about our working lives? You know, the part of our lives that we do because we need a paycheck! God really touched my heart this morning as He reminded me that in everything that I do, I need to represent Him, and I need to do it as if directly for Him. Friends, many of us can be a good person, or a good witness in our churches. Many of us are pretty good in our homes. Most of us are good around other Christians. But have we polished our Christian lives to be like Christ even among our fellow employees? Have we surrendered ourselves so fully to God that we serve our employers as if they were God, or perhaps in different terms, do we complete our jobs to a point where our boss sees a difference in us compared to the unbeliever on the job? Does he/she see Christ when He looks at us and stand in amazement as to how we serve so faithfully, honest and sincere? Can Jesus look at us and see His image being displayed through us even on our jobs? Perhaps we need to be more careful and more persistent in our relationship with Christ, asking for His guidance and help to best represent Him in every facet of our lives. After all, He could also return to take us home with Him, even during work hours! How is it with you friend?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are always there for us, yet even today I was reminded that there are times in my life where I may not have seen the importance to always represent You as I should. I never whine and complain when You are blessing me, yet I find myself doing just that at times at work when things may not be going as I would like to see them. Please always remind me that I serve a much higher calling than just trying to please my friends or my boss. Therefore as I serve You wholeheartedly it will encompass my whole life, regardless of where I may be – yes, even at work! Please work in my life in everything that I do, so that I may serve You faithfully, honestly and loyally. Please speak to the hearts of my friends reading this devotional today, may they too be made complete in You so that they also may be images of a Savior who gave it all for them, and therefore represent You well in all aspects of their life. Lord, I ask these awesome things in the wonderful and matchless name of Jesus my Lord, with thanksgiving, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Recognizing God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Allegiance to the Lamb, Bible Believing, Celebrate God, Christian, Discerning, Faith, Faith, Follow Jesus, God Cares For Us, God our Helper, Imitator of Christ, Listen to the Word of God, Obedience, Righteousness, Thank You JesusLeave a comment

Scripture: Genesis 40-41; Matthew 12

OBSERVATION (What is God saying here?)

22 Then a demon-possessed man, who was blind and couldn’t speak, was brought to Jesus. He healed the man so that he could both speak and see.23 The crowd was amazed and asked, “Could it be that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah?” Matt 12:22-23 (NLT)

APPLICATION (How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

Sometimes we read these familiar stories in God’s Word and God will just speak to us afresh through something contained in that passage. In this story Jesus had performed several miracles, and finally the crowd stepped back in wonderment and questioned among themselves ‘Could this possibly be the Messiah?”. In the world we live in today God is still very active, and although we tend to really hone in on the negative, there are times that our spiritual minds are awakened and we say to ourselves “that must be a Jesus thing”. That certain thing could only have occurred if Jesus made it happen. Friends, I believe that we must be praying with such expectation that we will notice every little act of God and response to our prayers by God. He is very much alive today and active in our lives. It is time for Christians to wake up and give Him credit for all that He does. It is in this type of act that we help to make believers out of those that doubt and question. They must see our faith, if we ever expect to be a Christian influence on them! We serve a mighty God, but don’t wait for the ‘big’ miracles to occur, recognize and praise Him daily for all that He does in your life. Good health – especially when we see so many in hospitals or at home sick; safety – especially when we pass a wreck on the road where some innocent person got hurt or even killed; answer to prayer – especially when we see so many that doubt or questions the work of God, or try to give credit to chance or horoscopes or palm readers. Friends we serve, and we should recognize the mighty God of all, the King of all kings, the creator of our universe – including mankind. Do we have reason to doubt? I believe that we actually have more reasons not to doubt the mighty works of God in our world today.

PRAYER (With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Praise be to God for accepting me as a humble child in great need of a Savior. Praise be to God for all the miracles performed in my life, in the life of our church and in the lives of my family and friends. May I be very alert to Your mighty hand at work in my life and all around me. May others see Jesus reflected in my life and in their own lives, so that together we can truly be a thankful people praising You for all Your mighty works and wondrous love. Thank You Jesus for caring so much for me. Please continue to work on me and mold me into something that  You can use to accomplish Your work. May I recognize Your mighty works each and every day!

God Can Use Us to Bless Others

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Bold Confidence, Chosen by God, Christian, Faith, Follow Jesus, Fruit of the Spirit, God Cares For Us, God our Helper, God’s Word, Helper, Imitator of Christ, Listen to the Word of God, Love, Love God, Love your Neighbor, Obedience, Our Help comes from God, Pleasing to God, Purity, Reflecting Christ, Righteousness, Servants of God, Surrender, Victorious Life, Work Til Jesus ComesLeave a comment

Scripture: Genesis 38-39  

OBSERVATION (What is God saying here?)

2 The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master.3 Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did.4 This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned.5 From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master’s household and property, the Lord began to bless Potiphar’s household for Joseph’s sake. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished. ~ Gen 39:2-5 (NLT)

APPLICATION (How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

I am always so thrilled to notice times when God blesses His people that serve Him faithfully. There is no indication in this passage that Joseph ever had to plead before God for anything, but many blessings were bestowed upon Joseph in return for his faithfulness and ongoing persistent commitment to God, and all this in spite of the circumstances where he had been sold by his own brothers, now resulting in him living in a foreign land with total strangers. I remember a plaque that read something like “God can do anything through a life totally committed to Him”. Joseph had no power to bless the home of Potiphar, but God certainly had the power to do it because of the faithfulness of His servant Joseph. I want to make my life so available to God and so responsive to His will, that He could easily shower His blessings through me and accomplish much for His glory.

PRAYER (With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

My prayer this morning will actually come directly from God’s Word, Ephesians 3:20-21:

20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.  Eph 3:20-21 (NLT)

Woe To You……

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, All have sinned, Ask and Receive, Bible Believing, Bold Confidence, Christian, Eternal Life, Evangelism, Faith, Faith, Follow Jesus, Forgiveness, God Cares For Us, God Reigns, God’s Word, Humility, Listen to the Word of God, Love God, Obedience, Our Help comes from God, Righteousness, Surrender, Victorious LifeLeave a comment

Scripture: Genesis 36 – 37; Matthew 11  

OBSERVATION (What is God saying here?)

20 Then Jesus began to denounce the towns where he had done so many of his miracles, because they hadn’t repented of their sins and turned to God.21 “What sorrow awaits you, Korazin and Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did in you had been done in wicked Tyre and Sidon, their people would have repented of their sins long ago, clothing themselves in burlap and throwing ashes on their heads to show their remorse.22 I tell you, Tyre and Sidon will be better off on judgment day than you.23 “And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead. For if the miracles I did for you had been done in wicked Sodom, it would still be here today.24 I tell you, even Sodom will be better off on judgment day than you.”   Matt 11:20-24 (NLT)

APPLICATION (How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

I believe that too often we tend to think about how good we are as a church, or a nation, that God would surely bless everyone in it. I also think that we tend to take it for granted that because we go to this or that church every week we will also go to heaven. Friends, there is only one way to get there, and that is to accept Jesus as Lord of you life. Just like Jesus may have done numerous miracles in our church, or in our family, so we may be tempted to think that we too are among those blessed, and will surely reap God’s blessings. These verses tell us that although Jesus performed many miracles in these towns, yet they (the people) will surely die and go to hell if they don’t make personal decisions to accept Him. We too must turn to God, and not think for a moment that we can depend on our blessed lineage to also slip into Heaven. It just doesn’t happen that way. Woe to any that believe that way. A personal decision to accept Jesus is THE only way to ever see Jesus and/or Heaven. The one good thing is that, if you are able to read this devotional today, there is still time for you to make the type decision of which I speak about here. Don’t delay your decision friend, we are not promised one moment past the present breath. Contact me if you would like a friend to talk with about this decision. Directly from God’s Word I will find the words to help you in your decision to accept Jesus. Respond to this posting today, please?

PRAYER (With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Thank You Father for saving my soul. please help me to be sensitive to those who have yet to make this most important decision. Please direct me to someone today that I may help in their dilemma so that they may personally know that they will see You one day, regardless of what may go on around them. Thank You for making this provision for us and providing a means for forgiveness of sin and the promise of eternal life.

Reach Out and Touch Him In Faith

On By Ed AlgreenIn Ask and Receive, Bible Believing, Bold Confidence, Christian, Faith, Follow Jesus, God Cares For Us, God our Helper, Healing, Hope, Listen to the Word of God, Obedience, Our Help comes from God, Power of Prayer, RighteousnessLeave a comment

Scripture: Matthew 9

OBSERVATION (What is God saying here?)

So Jesus and his disciples got up and went with him.20 Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind him. She touched the fringe of his robe,21 for she thought, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”22 Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment.  Matt 9:19-22 (NLT)

APPLICATION (How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

Like the woman with the issue of blood who followed Jesus and knew that if she could only touch Him she would be healed, today we too reach out to Jesus with all we have in us, knowing that He can heal us or mend our brokenness. Jesus looked at the lady in this story and told her that because of her faith, she was healed. Friends, this is the same Jesus that we serve today, and He is still looking for our faith and sincerity so that He can say the same thing to us. We know that many of our problems are well beyond our abilities. We know that all things are possible with, and through Jesus. Let us then place our faith and trust in the one with all the answers, with all the power to bring about the miracles that we need in our lives. Let’s let go and let God have His way with us. Let’s surrender to His power so that His miracle hand can begin a great work in us! Like the woman reached out to touch Jesus for her healing, let’s reach out and touch Him today.

PRAYER (With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Father thank You for this reminder today, that I must reach out to the one with all the answers, the only One with all the power to heal and/or change things in and around me. You are in control and can be counted on to heal me as I reach out in faith to You. Please help me daily to walk in faith, help me to keep my eyes so focused on You that I will always surrender my concerns to You and allow Your power to work miracles in my life and in all walks of life that affect me. Speak the word today dear God and heal my concerns, may my walk with You become richer today as a result of my faith. Thank You for loving me so much to hear my prayer and work in and through me.

Oh, for the faith of our forefathers

On By Ed AlgreenIn Ask and Receive, Bible Believing, Bold Confidence, Christian, Faith, Faith, God Cares For Us, God our Provider, God’s Word, Listen to the Word of God, Obedience, Our Help comes from God, Power of Prayer, RighteousnessLeave a comment

Scripture: Genesis 23 

OBSERVATION (What is God saying here?)

6 “No!” Abraham responded. “Be careful never to take my son there.7 For the Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and my native land, solemnly promised to give this land to my descendants. He will send his angel ahead of you, and he will see to it that you find a wife there for my son.8 If she is unwilling to come back with you, then you are free from this oath of mine. But under no circumstances are you to take my son there.” Gen 24:6-8 (NLT)

14 This is my request. I will ask one of them, ‘Please give me a drink from your jug.’ If she says, ‘Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!’—let her be the one you have selected as Isaac’s wife. This is how I will know that you have shown unfailing love to my master.” Gen 24:14 (NLT)

APPLICATION (How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

This is a pretty amazing chapter to read on the faith of our forefathers, wow! Abraham heard from God on who his son Isaac should marry, and who he shouldn’t marry, and where exactly Isaac should settle down at. So he sent his servant to look for a wife for Isaac so that Isaac wouldn’t be tempted to stay in the destination that Abraham was convinced his wife would come from. Abraham was convinced of his actions and followed through with them in faith believing God. It seems like his servant left for the journey a little hesitant, but yet willing to follow the orders of his master. Surely there must have been a degree of assurance based on the many times he had seen Abraham’s faith in action before. It was interesting to see the servant also bow before God with his own requests for this awesome task assigned to him by his master. It was also amazing to see how God answered the prayers of Abraham and his servant and then to see how pleased Isaac was with his new wife that was picked for him. This has once again reminded me of how awesome my God is, and how He will come through for us as we pray in faith, and as we follow His will obediently.

PRAYER (With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Lord please help me to never question You and Your will for my life. My problems are extremely minor in comparison to the awesome tasks that I read about in this chapter today. Please help me to draw so close to You that I will know Your will for my life and that I will seek with all that I have to follow Your commands, Your Word and ultimately, Your direction for my life and for those that I influence and have responsibility. You are all powerful, and not only have You made everything around me, but You have everything under Your control. Thank You Father for that assurance, and for loving and caring for me enough to want to see the very best for me. My desire is to follow Your will for my life. I pray that my faith will be strengthened each and every day that I walk alongside of You!